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Cox: Kentucky Derby Runner-Up Mandaloun Using Pegasus To Build Fitness, Prep For Haskell

Trainer Brad Cox is looking for Sunday's TVG.com Pegasus Stakes at Monmouth Park to serve a dual purpose for Kentucky Derby runner-up Mandaloun.

One is to get some added fitness into his speedy 3-year-old, who has been idle since May 1. The other is to give the son of Into Mischief a race over the track.

Both are key elements in setting up Mandaloun's next start: The $1 million TVG.com Haskell Stakes on July 17, the Grade 1 race that serves as the centerpiece to the Monmouth Park meet.

“I want him to get some experience at Monmouth and I'm looking to use the race as a fitness tool, as a prep from the Haskell,” said Cox, who plans to fly in from Kentucky on Sunday morning to watch the race in person. “I didn't want to go 11 weeks without a race. This was the race we thought made the most sense on the calendar.”

The 40th edition of the Pegasus Stakes, at a mile and a sixteenth for 3-year-olds, has a recent history that suggests Cox's horse will have to earn whatever he gets.

Two years ago, disqualified Kentucky Derby winner Maximum Security finished second as the 1-20 favorite to King for a Day in the Pegasus Stakes before going on to win the Haskell.

Mandaloun, a Kentucky-bred colt owned by Juddmonte, sports a 3-1-1 line from six career starts with earnings of $961,252. He will enter the Pegasus off a six-week layoff.

“He's doing great,” said Cox. “Obviously we wouldn't be coming if he wasn't doing well. He ships today (Thursday) and hopefully he will get settled in quickly and be ready for Sunday.”

These are heady times for Cox, who is also mapping out a schedule for Belmont Stakes winner and last year's 2-year-old champion Essential Quality. Cox's plans have Essential Quality shipping to Saratoga in July and pointing to the Travers Stakes.

As hectic as it is for him, Cox would not have it any other way.

“I love everything about it,” he said. “It's why you get up and do this and spend so much time and effort and basically dedicate your life to it. It's the big stage.

“For me, 3-year-olds on the dirt going two turns, that's what it is all about. This is the division I like. The Triple Crown is a challenging thing for horses and it takes special horses to compete at that level. I feel very fortunate to be a part of it.”

Mandaloun's stalking, close-to-the pace running style looks to be well suited for Monmouth Park, too.

“He is usually forwardly placed,” said Cox. “Any time you have speed like he does it's a big advantage. I'm not saying he is going to be on the lead in this race but he will be near the lead I'm sure. Any time you have his running style it normally puts you in a good position.”

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Saturday’s Cross Country Pick 5 Features Action From Belmont, Monmouth, Woodbine

The New York Racing Association, Inc. (NYRA) will host a Cross Country Pick 5 on Saturday featuring racing action from Belmont Park, Monmouth Park in Oceanport, New Jersey and Woodbine Racetrack in Toronto, Ontario.

Free Equibase past performances for the Cross Country Pick 5 sequence are now available for download at https://www.nyra.com/belmont/racing/cross-country-wagers.

Action commences in Race 7 [4:06 p.m. Eastern] at Belmont Park, when a field of nine older fillies and mares seek a first-level allowance triumph going seven furlongs over the main track. Breaking from the rail, Juddmonte Farms' Entreat makes her first start since a victorious career debut on September 25 at Churchill Downs for trainer Chad Brown. Jeff Drown and Don Rachel's Iaintfraidanoghost cuts back in distance after a four-length victory on February 28 at Aqueduct. Trained by Jeremiah Englehart, the daughter of Ghostzapper scored at fourth asking in a one-turn mile over a muddy and sealed track.

Action shifts to Woodbine Racetrack for the second leg – a 5 ½-furlong maiden optional claiming event over the all-weather surface. Praven Sorenson and Wayne Oliver's Thatsmykindanight seeks a first career win following two runner up finishes as the 2-1 morning line favorite. Carded as Race 7, the second leg of the sequence has a scheduled post time of 4:20 p.m.

The middle leg brings stakes action to the table when Monmouth Park hosts the Grade 3, $150,000 Salvator Mile [Race 10, 4:28 p.m.]. Defending winner Pirate's Punch invades from Kentucky for trainer Grant Forster, making his first start since finishing 12th in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Dirt Mile in November at Keeneland. John Fanelli, Cash Is King, LC Racing, Paul Braverman and Team Hanley's Ny Traffic returns to Monmouth Park after a narrow defeat in last year's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational. Trained by Saffie Joseph, Jr., Ny Traffic arrives off his best Beyer Speed Figure yet when garnering a 103 when defeating his New York-bred counterparts by 6 ¾ lengths going seven furlongs at Belmont Park.

Woodbine gets back in on the action in an open maiden special weight for 3-year-olds and upward going one mile over the turf for Race 8 [4:51 p.m.]. Hall of Famer Roger Attfield sends out regally-bred Speightstown Shirl – a daughter of prolific sire Speightstown out of 2011 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf winner Perfect Shirl – for her fourth start after finishing second in all three previous efforts. Eclipse Thoroughbred Partners and Gary Barber's Astrological, a bay daughter of Malibu Moon and half-sister to 2018 Woodbine Oaks winner Dixie Moon, makes her career debut for Hall of Fame trainer Mark Casse.

A field of 11 turf maiden special weight aspirants closes the curtains on the sequence in a 1 1/16-mile event, carded as Race 11 with a 4:58 p.m. post. Hall of Fame trainer Todd Pletcher will debut Lumino, a son of Medaglia d'Oro out of Exotic Bloom. Owned by Phoenix Thoroughbreds, the 4-year-old dark bay is a half-sibling to 2015 Breeders' Cup Distaff winner Stopchargingmaria and was bought for $2.1 million from the 2018 Keeneland September Yearling Sale. Pletcher also sends out Jackpot Farm's Freer, who makes his second career start after finishing second on April 24 at Gulfstream Park.

The minimum bet for the multi-track, multi-race wager is 50 cents. Wagering on the Cross Country Pick 5 is also available on ADW platforms and at simulcast facilities across the country. Every week will feature a mandatory payout of the net pool. The Cross Country Pick 5 will continue each Saturday throughout the year. For more information, visit NYRABets.com.

Cross Country Pick 5 – Saturday, June 12:
Leg A: Belmont Park – Race 7 (4:06 p.m.)
Leg B: Woodbine – Race 7 (4:20 p.m.)
Leg C: Monmouth Park – Race 10, G3, $150,000 Salvator Mile (4:28 p.m.)
Leg D: Woodbine – Race 8 (4:51 p.m.)
Leg E: Monmouth Park – Race 11 (4:58 p.m.)

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Larry Collmus, Nick Luck Join TVG Broadcast Team This Summer

TVG will introduce two faces familiar to horse racing fans both here and abroad to its broadcast team this summer, the network announced today. Larry Collmus, best known as the voice of the Triple Crown on NBC, will join the TVG broadcast team for select days at Monmouth Park, and NBC Sports broadcast personality and international racing expert Nick Luck, a staple of horse racing coverage in both the UK and US, will be part of the TVG's special coverage of the iconic Royal Ascot meet from June 15 through June 18.

“We are very excited to have both Larry and Nick join our talent roster this summer,” said Kevin Grigsby, executive producer and senior vice president of television for FanDuel Group and TVG. “Both bring considerable experience, knowledge and local insight that will resonate with our audience.”

Collmus, a resident of the New Jersey shore and the Monmouth Park track announcer from 1994 to 2013, will co-host with Joaquin Jaime and Dave Weaver live from the TVG set trackside at Monmouth Park to provide perspective, analysis and insights on select days throughout the meet beginning with this weekend's coverage highlighted by the TVG.com Pegasus Stakes on Sunday. The race, the major prep for the Haskell Invitational, is expected to draw Mandaloun, runner-up finisher in the Kentucky Derby for trainer Brad Cox.

In addition to his time at Monmouth Park, Collmus has been the track announcer at major tracks across the country including the NYRA circuit, Gulfstream Park and Del Mar, and has worked as the race caller for NBC Sports' coverage of the Triple Crown since 2011 and the Breeders' Cup since 2012.

TVG's special coverage of every race from the Royal Ascot meeting will begin on Tuesday, June 15 at 9:00 a.m. ET/6:00 a.m. PT. TVG's Scott Hazelton will anchor the week-long Royal Ascot coverage from the Los Angeles studio, and Luck will be joining international racing expert Jess Stafford with live, on-site coverage featuring exclusive interviews, analysis and selections.

The Royal Ascot meeting will feature four Breeders' Cup “Win and You're In” Challenge races which will earn the winner an automatic berth into the Breeders' Cup which will be held at Del Mar on November 5-6. The races are the Queen Anne Stakes (Fan Duel Mile), Prince of Wales's Stakes (Longines Turf), Norfolk Stakes (Juvenile Turf) and the Diamond Jubilee Stakes (Turf Sprint).

Luck is an eight-time horse racing broadcaster of the year in the UK who has covered every major racing event in his native England, including the Epsom Derby, the Cheltenham Festival and the Grand National. He first joined ESPN in 2006 as part of the broadcast team for the Breeders' Cup and has been part of the Breeders' Cup coverage on NBC since 2012.

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Sean Tugel Talks Tapit On Writers’ Room

In a crowded and often fickle stallion landscape, one North American sire at Gainesway Farm has stood out above all the rest for over a decade strong now. He may not win the general sires title every year, but no stallion in this country has produced the consistent excellence of Tapit since he went to stud in 2005, and Saturday was yet another elite-level reminder when his champion son Essential Quality streaked across the wire as his remarkable fourth GI Belmont S. winner. Wednesday morning, Gainesway's director of stallion sales and recruitment Sean Tugel joined the TDN Writers' Room presented by Keeneland to discuss the gray giant's everlasting and ever-improving legacy.

“It's a real pleasure and privilege to get to work in this business and be so close to an absolute legend,” said Tugel, calling in via Zoom as the Green Group Guest of the Week. “I can remember when I first came to Kentucky and Storm Cat was still breeding and commanding $500,000. I would take mares over there when I was at Hill 'n' Dale and you just remember that allure of a legendary stallion. Tapit is that now. You're in awe of him. Every year, he continues to raise his stature and produce champions. He's a horse that makes people's dreams come alive.”

Tapit is on pace to pass Giant's Causeway and become the all-time leading North American sire at some point this summer, as his progeny have banked, at last count, $170,556,107 on the racetrack (Giant's Causeway sits at $172,393,625). Tugel talked about what that would mean for the farm and the Beck family, whose patriarch Graham Beck bought Gainesway from founder John R. Gaines in 1989.

“One thing about Gainesway is it's steeped in the history of the game,” Tugel said. “Part of our farm is the old Greentree facility and farm of the Whitney family. So horses like Peter Pan, Domino, some unbelievable stallions have stood here. When Mr. Gaines had the farm he stood Lyphard, Riverman, Cozzene. Now there's a new chapter in the long history of Gainesway with the Beck family, who have stood what is arguably the best sire of modern history. For him to be the all-time leading North American sire, that's what Mr. Beck bought the farm for and what his son Antony has been able to carry on the legacy with. So for them, I don't think anything would be more special.”

Elsewhere on the show, which is also sponsored by West Point Thoroughbreds, the Minnesota Racehorse Engagement Project and Legacy Bloodstock, the writers reacted to a monster Belmont Day card, questioned the merits of the latest legal action by Bob Baffert and Amr Zedan, and remembered the great Rick Porter. Click here to watch the podcast; click here for the audio-only version or find it on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

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